Presentations

We currently have the following presentations on Celestia and badge workshops available for your Scouts to view. Recommended ages are also listed. We can tailor the presentations somewhat to younger children if you are interested.

Topic

Description

Grades

Time Required

Astronomy Belt Loop

We cover the entire topic, discussing what stars are made of, their life cycle, and our place in the vast universe. If there is good weather we can use a telescope to learn about focusing and how a telescope works.

1+

60-90 minutes

Tour of the Solar System

Covers the 8 major planets and up to their five largest moons. You'll be amazed at what's been discovered!

5+

60 minutes

Mars - An Oceanic Planet

Covers ancient Mars history and whether water once rained on Mars

7+

45 minutes

Mars II - It's Dead, Jim, But was It Alive

Is or was there Life on Mars? The latest information is covered with more evidence to think about.

7+

45 minutes

The Messier Objects

Travel at beyond warp speed to discover the beauty of the Universe as only the camera can capture. A photographic delight

1+

45 minutes

What is a Telescope?

Learn about different types of telescopes, how they work. Learn what to spend your hard-earned dollars on for astronomy equipment

7+

45 minutes

Girl Scout Astronomy Badge

Earn your Galactic Explorer patch. We cover some the requirements to earn this badge. We need a clear night with good viewing capability. Please contact us to arrange this and let us know what you need.

7+

1-4 hours

Boy Scout Astronomy Badge

Earn your Astronomy Badge. We cover some the requirements to earn this badge. We need a clear night with good viewing capability. Please contact us to arrange this and let us know what you need.

7+

1-4 hours

Navigating the Stars

Learn how to find interesting objects without using expensive computer driven telescopes. You'll learn all about Right Ascension and Declination, using star charts, and how to use a planisphere to locate objects. Afterward you'll go outside and try to find an object using what you've learned

7+

1-2 hour

Light Pollution 101

Learn what light pollution is and how you can help stop it.

K+

1 hour

Light Pollution 201

Learn what light pollution is and how you can help stop it. Learn how to take a light survey and how to fix lighting problems around your school and home.

8+

2-4 hours

Humankind visits Pluto

Learn and see the latest information and pictures coming from the New Horizons flyby of Pluto. The photographs taken in the Summer 2015 have all been downloaded and analysis in ongoing, so this presentation will be changing as new information becomes available.

4+

1 hour

Black Holes and Other Cosmic Absurdities

Discover what happens when you enter a black hole (if you could). Learn about Dark Matter and Dark Energy, how we know they exist, and how much we really do know about the universe. Multiverses anyone? Was there a Big Bang - or Maybe a Bouncing Universe?

4+

1 hour

Constellation Stories of the First Americans

Discover Coyote - a famed First American god that was both a trickster and obnoxious complainer with little self control. Learn how the Holy Ones arranged the stars into deliberate shapes and how Coyote threw randomness into the mix. First American stories are far more gentle than the Greco/Roman stories and are much more suited to this younger age group.

K-4

1 hour

Constellation Stories of the First Americans and Greek/Romans

Learn how the stars were put in the skies by the Holy Ones and Coyote. Contrast the First American stories with the Greco/Roman modern constellations. Learn how to find the North Star and why it is important to night time navigation

5 +

1 hour

Weird Moons, Minor Planets, and Asteroids

Discover moons that are hollow, chock full of organic compounds, the "gasoline" moon, moons filled with liquid water, minor planets with giant ice mountains floating on liquid oceans, and how the asteroid belt was formed and evolved and what the asteroids are made of. Learn how NASA is planning on capturing an asteroid and bringing it back to Earth.

5 +

1 hour

A Very Brief History of NASA

This is a whirlwind tour of some of the NASA missions and accomplishments from it's inception until the near future.

4+

1 hour

Celestia is the program we use for our "planeterium". It is free and open source.

If you would like us to cover some other astronomical subject please ask.